The Takeaway SMP Novelization

Chapter 3 - Springing the Trap

Armoured footsteps clunked through the wasteland, echoing off the snow-capped mountains. Four pairs of footprints made their way up to a high ridge, offering an expansive view of the landscape and their target, the Imperium headquarters.

"That's the prize."

T5 pointed out the structure, standing amongst the dull and grey landscape, next to a frozen lake. It was relatively low to the surface and much smaller than Loppezz was expecting. This was her first time laying eyes on her enemy's base, whilst T5 had fought in these wastelands thousands of times.

"What are we expecting?" Kotuk asked.

"They'll be heavily armoured, guarding all important positions, it's important we maintain the element of surprise," T5 strategised, "Don't engage them unless you have no other option, if you get drawn into a fight, they will outgear you in the long-term and wear you down."

"Got it," Snow responded, looking at Kotuk.

"Me too," Kotuk said, looking around for Loppezz.

"Loppezz?" Snow called.

"For fuck's sake," T5 cursed as he looked around for the cat.

Underground, Loppezz was busy digging out a tunnel into the base, knowing that approaching from land was suicide. She slowly but surely made her way through thick layers of dirt and stone until she reached an obsidian wall. Curious, she drew her pickaxe and began hacking away.

T5 walked out through the tundra towards the base, his armour almost entirely concealed by his cloak. A long battleaxe was mounted to his back and appeared as a wedge underneath the flowing cloak. He expected to be under attack at any moment by the Imperium, but remained calm. Every step he took towards the base increased the speed of his heart beating, the stress levels accelerating. Strangely, he'd reached the front of the building and yet nobody had done anything. No warnings. No attack. Nothing. He drew out his axe and slammed it against the wall, creating a massive crack as the material began to disintegrate as a result of the immense pressure.

Loppezz entered the room, which appeared to be some sort of a vault. It was enormous, with it's tall ceiling only propped up by massive quartz pillars. The room was decorated richly, with netherite adorning the walls and a massive chandelier lighting the cavernous space. In the centre of the room stood a pedestal, mounted atop it, an unusual object. It was otherworldly, with a strange pink centre and white shards surrounding it. A note was left beside it.

"Keep away from Obsidian.

THE END CRYSTAL."

Loppezz picked up the item and stashed it in her bag, the gravity of the weapon weighing down upon her. She turned to leave the way she entered before pausing.

Surely this had been far too easy? She had walked into her enemy's base, grabbed their most valuable possession and was now about to walk back out the way she arrived. And not a single shot fired. She reached into her bag, pulling out the weapon again, holding it in her hands. She thought about T5's words. How could she trust the knowledge of this weapon to anyone else apart from herself. Who was to say Kotuk wouldn't go and backstab her in the name of power like everyone else. T5, she had only just met, and she had no idea where his loyalties lay. She put it back in her bag.

There was no weapon. It doesn't exist. It was a myth.

Sprinting footsteps were heard from the otherside of the room. Loppezz stashed the weapon and drew her sword, only to be met with the familiar face of T5.

"Anything?"

"No," Loppezz responded.

"I thought so, this place seems abandoned," T5 replied, feeling defeated, "They must have left this place months ago."

"We should leave, in case they decide they're not quite done yet."

Loppezz and T5 walked out the entrance to the base and back into the overcast landscape. Snowlar and Kotuk were waiting for them back at the scouting position they had overlooked the base at earlier.

"The base is empty," T5 shouted, annoyed at the waste of his time, but also relieved that he had not been dragged back into the war.

"Seriously? Nothing?" Kotuk exclaimed, "Our intel said it would be here, we were so sure."

"Kotuk, if they had their most valuable weapon stored somewhere, it wouldn't be in an empty base."

The four of them dragged themselves back across the wasteland, defeated and exhausted from carrying around their battle gear all day for nothing. But Loppezz, now with the strongest weapon in existence in the rucksack slung over her shoulder, was beginning to feel responsibility weighing her down.

However, a distant shadow stood tall amongst the hills, looking down upon them, its eyes glaring down and an evil smile adorning its face.